Vinesh Phogat Retires From Wrestling: Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement from wrestling after being disqualified due to failing to make weight for the women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Vinesh stormed into the final of her weight category at the Olympics. After defeating No. 1 seed, Tokyo 2020 gold medallist, and undefeated in five years wrestler Yui Susaki in the first round, she defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinal and Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman in the semis to make her way into the gold medal match.
With India having won only three bronze medals in the 2024 Olympics so far, the 29-year-old wrestler confirming either a silver or a gold was a massive deal.
But on the morning of the final, devastating news emerged that Phogat had been disqualified from the competition as she was not able to get under the 50 kg weight limit during the weigh-ins before the final.
Check Out:
It later came out that she was about 2.7 kg overweight the night before the weigh-in. Vinesh, who normally wrestles in the 53 kg category, had to drastically cut weight just months before the Olympics as she lost in the trials for her own weight class to Antim Panghal.
With a lot of weight to lose in just one night, Vinesh tried her level best, not consuming anything and intense workouts in a sweat suit. But this was not enough, as it was overweight by just 100 grams on the morning of the weigh-ins and was hence disqualified.
The disqualification did not mean that she would be awarded a silver medal, but it meant that she had been disqualified from the entire competition. So, no medal.
This, to no one’s surprise, sent shockwaves in the Indian Olympic contingent and the millions of fans back home. While some looked for ways that the decision could be turned, others were in disbelief. But in the end, the decision was final.
Vinesh Phogat was hospitalized on the day of the final after missing weight due to dangerous weight loss.
Vinesh Phogat Retires From Wrestling
Now out of the hospital, Vinesh has announced her retirement from wrestling, claiming that she has lost and has no more strength. She took to social media to announce her retirement.
“Maa, kushti mere se jeet gayi, main haar gayi. Maaf karna, aapka sapna, meri himmat sab toot chuke. Isse zyada taqat nahi rahi ab” (Mom, wrestling has defeated me, I have lost. I lost my courage is all broken, I don’t have any more strength now).”
In what will be considered one of the darkest days in Indian sports when looked back upon in the future, it can be said that this is not only a loss of a medal at the Olympics but also a loss of unbelievable talent.
This is the second time Vinesh Phogat has lost out on a medal due to not being defeated on the mat in a fair match. In her quarterfinal bout in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Vinesh injured her knee badly and thus lost the bout.
But this might not be the end. Several athletes in the past have announced retirement following traumatic losses, only to return for another shot at glory. The greatest example of this phenomenon is Lionel Messi, who announced his international retirement after losing in the final of the 2016 Copa America, only to return to international football and win two Copa Americas and a FIFA World Cup. So we can only hope that Vinesh decides to take another crack at Olympic glory in the future.
Get Paris Olympics 2024 Live Results at the IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook & Instagram.
